The former Liverpool defender believes that the Hammers will register a 2-1 victory at the Boleyn Ground in the Premier League clash.

“The Hammers are actually below the Black Cats in the Premier League's form table - they have only won one out of their 12 Premier League game since Christmas - but this is certainly not an easy start for (Dick) Advocaat,” the 57-year-old wrote on BBC Sport.

“I would not question the commitment of any of the Sunderland players, but they have not been creating anything like enough chances and Advocaat must find a way of changing that.”

Could Mark Lawrenson’s prediction come true?

West Ham will head into the encounter in London as favourites, mainly because they are at home.

Sam Allardyce’s side are struggling for points and for form, having won just once in their last 12 Premier League games.

The Hammers have lost both their two league matches this month, conceding four goals and scoring none in the process.

Sunderland are not in great form, either, having suffered a 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa at the Stadium of Light last weekend.

The loss to the Villans cost Gus Poyet his job, and it will be interesting to see how the players respond to new manager Dick Advocaat.

Subhankar Mondal

A football journalist based in Wakefield, Subhankar Mondal has previously worked for Goal.com International and Skysports.com, and has had his sports articles published in The Guardian and The Observer. He has also been on the BBC in the past and his name once found its way to the pages of the World Soccer magazine. He was recently cited in a major Louis van Gaal biography.